Lawyers are masters at arguing their cases, but what happens when artificial intelligence flips the narrative?
Our profession trains us to advocate relentlessly. We can argue any position so convincingly that over time we start believing every word we say. That superpower wins cases and clients. Yet inside our own heads, it can also trap us in stories that erode confidence, strain relationships and fuel burnout.
This is where AI quietly enters the scene, not as a threat but as a mirror.
Case study No. 1: The boss vs. the visionary
One of my clients was convinced his boss was sabotaging him. He saw himself as the strategist and big-picture thinker destined for leadership. His boss, in his view, was a micromanaging cost cutter buried in the weeds.
I suggested a twist: Feed the situation into ChatGPT but from the boss’s point of view.
The output flipped everything. Suddenly, he was not the overlooked visionary. He was portrayed as the underperformer who was resistant to feedback, quick to blame and failing to deliver. It was uncomfortable to read, but it shifted his mindset. He walked into his next meeting seeing not an adversary but a manager responding to his own blind spots. That reframing changed the conversation from confrontation to collaboration.
Case study No. 2: The crusader vs. the organization
Another client felt vilified by her organization. In her mind, she was the principled whistleblower who was standing up for what was right while others stayed silent. We ran the same exercise and asked AI to write the story from the organization’s perspective.
The narrative that came back was sobering. She was portrayed as disruptive, uncollegial and unwilling to work within established channels. It was not the truth, but it was a version worth examining. Reading her story in the organization’s voice revealed why her message, though valid, was falling flat. She adjusted her tone, timing and alliances, and the same leaders who once resisted her ideas began to listen.
The hidden superpower of AI for lawyers
Neither AI output was perfect. Neither was right. But both offered something more valuable than validation: clarity. These clients discovered that perspective-taking is not surrender; it is strategy. It delivers:
• Perspective insurance against blind spots
• Confidence resets before difficult conversations
• Healthier boundaries by processing narratives outside midnight rumination
• Career clarity by understanding how others might see us
When used in this way, AI becomes an empathy engine that helps lawyers examine the assumptions behind their arguments and anticipate how those arguments land.
Beyond efficiency: Building AI-resilient lawyers
Most conversations about AI in law focus on speed: faster research, quicker drafting and streamlined billing. Efficiency matters. Yet the future of law will belong not only to those who automate but to those who integrate humanity with technology.
AI-resilient lawyers know how to:
• Use AI to challenge their own narratives instead of reinforcing them
• Strengthen emotional intelligence and confidence through reflection
• Communicate AI use transparently to build trust with clients and colleagues
This is professional development for the age of algorithms. It does not replace judgment; it sharpens it.
Privacy and ethics: Guardrails for curiosity
Every innovation brings caution. When experimenting with AI, lawyers must protect confidentiality as carefully as any other client data. Public AI tools should be treated like open forums, not closed files.
A few practical guardrails include:
• Anonymizing inputs by removing client names, case details and identifying facts.
• Using enterprise or private models that do not store or train on your prompts.
• Applying the same professional responsibility lens you would use with any vendor; if you would not share it in an elevator, do not paste it into ChatGPT.
• Documenting your process when using AI for insight or drafting. Transparency builds trust.
Handled thoughtfully, these tools can co-exist with our ethical duties and even strengthen them by encouraging lawyers to think more critically before they speak or send.
Why it matters
The most dangerous story a lawyer will ever tell is the one they never question. AI makes questioning unavoidable.
By inviting a second and sometimes uncomfortable perspective, we trade certainty for insight. That is where growth happens. Lawyers who learn to use AI not as a shortcut but as a self-check will find themselves clearer, calmer and more effective advocates.
AI will not make us less human. Used well, it will make us more self-aware.
Brooke Loesby is a former BigLaw attorney and the founder of Law Life Coach Inc. She helps lawyers redefine success through career strategy, leadership coaching and well-being initiatives.
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